The FIA does not believe Formula 1 power unit manufacturers have an incentive to deliberately hide their true engine performance in order to benefit from additional development opportunities under the ADUO system. FIA technical chief Nikolas Tombazis has defended the measurements carried out so far, although he acknowledged that the mechanism could be improved in the future.
ADUO was intended to provide a transparent way of addressing potential performance differences between Formula 1’s power unit manufacturers. Instead, the process has become increasingly difficult to interpret from the outside, with the first measurements never made public and controversy continuing over how the manufacturers have been assessed.
ADUO controversy grows after Red Bull tops FIA engine assessment
The situation became particularly contentious after Red Bull unexpectedly emerged as the strongest manufacturer in the assessment. Its internal combustion engine, which is the only element of the power unit considered in the ADUO measurements, was judged to be more powerful even than Mercedes’ ICE.
The result prompted Red Bull to hold several meetings with the FIA, while the team also asked the governing body to repeat the measurements. The technical framework behind the process has previously been outlined in a detailed explanation of how the FIA calculates ADUO engine rankings.
In the meantime, the second ADUO measurement was triggered after the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, communication surrounding the process has remained limited, leaving considerable uncertainty around the latest assessment and its implications for the manufacturers.
Nikolas Tombazis admits ADUO can be improved
Speaking in an interview with Motorsport, Nikolas Tombazis addressed the effectiveness of ADUO and acknowledged the difficulty of operating such a system in an intensely competitive environment.
“Everything is quite delicate because everyone is very competitive and focused on their own position. It has been a real challenge. That said, has everything worked well? No, because obviously there are some people who are unhappy. Do we need to think about how to improve it in the future? I would say yes,” the FIA technical chief explained.
The debate comes after the FIA’s first evaluations of the 2026 power units, with the governing body’s ADUO measurement process following the Canadian Grand Prix already attracting close attention from teams and manufacturers.
FIA rejects theory that manufacturers could hide engine performance
One concern surrounding ADUO is whether a power unit manufacturer could intentionally operate below its true potential in order to remain eligible for further development opportunities. Tombazis, however, does not believe such a strategy would make competitive sense.
“I don’t think it would be worthwhile to stay below the limit all the time just to keep receiving development tokens. Otherwise, what would be the purpose of the tokens if they didn’t allow you to reach the top?” he said.
Tombazis therefore believes the fundamental principle of ADUO remains sound, even if changes could make the process easier to administer and less contentious. “I think the system works as it was developed, but to make it less time-consuming and less controversial, we will have to make some improvements,” he added.
The system is particularly relevant to Ferrari’s 2026 development programme, with the Scuderia using the additional opportunities available under ADUO as part of its power unit evolution. Ferrari is currently preparing its second ADUO development step for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, making the FIA’s evaluation process an important part of the wider technical battle between Formula 1’s manufacturers.
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